How To Refurbish Your Dashpad

[LateOnTheBrakes]

Can anyone link me to a thread that shows how to take the dash off without ruining it?

 

[Raybo135]

Can anyone link me to a thread that shows how to take the dash off without ruining it?

If you are talking the Dash/instrument cluster, There is a video on LMC showing how to remove. and as far as the dash pad goes, it really is a piece of cake. Just take out the 4 screws where it meets the metal above the Glove box and with the instruments out. it should just pop out when you pull on the Defroster vents. And there might be a video on Brothers and LMC on pulling the old one out.

 

[Rusty Nail]

Let me wake the dead here... i just scored an oem dash pad thats in killer shape for its age,1 little crack. How do i got about painting it to match my factory color so i can swap them? Heres a picture of the new pad.

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What happened with that deal anyway?

 

[78C10BigTen]

What happened with that deal anyway?

Never came up with a definative answer on how to paint it so its currently standing in my hall closet.

 

[Rusty Nail]

Cool Nic!

Never came up with a definative answer on how to paint it so its currently standing in my hall closet.

Not a big deal ? Gotta take the shine out of what ya got and then make new paint stick. Ain't hard.
Acetone + a brillo?
Joo like it teh pinchè BRILLO?!

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Coulda been finished already BUT! I sure as hell would do the door panels too?

 

[78C10BigTen]

Cool Nic!



Not a big deal ? Gotta take the shine out of what ya got and then make new paint stick. Ain't hard.
Acetone + a brillo?
Joo like it teh pinchè BRILLO?!

You must be registered for see images attach

Coulda been finished already BUT! I sure as hell would do the door panels too?

Door panels are crusty and breaking apart. Not worth it

 

[Rusty Nail]

Dang dude!

That makes me sad.

Waste of paint even for a door panel?

Wat color u need?
POWer ooorrr???

 

[78C10BigTen]

Dang dude!

That makes me sad.

Waste of paint even for a door panel?

Wat color u need?
POWer ooorrr???

Buckskin non power. Silverado trim. Ill get pics,of my sad panels tomorrow

 

[Camar068]

Great job. Not sure if this would be hijacking or not (I try not to), but has anyone tried this on a square? Of course the main preliminary work posted here by the OP would be required....

I bought a dash for $20 with cracks in it so I could finish it then just do a swap in my daily driver.

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[FireTruck1984]

Nice work

 

[Vacilando2]

Awesome post with impressive results! New to the forum here and looking for solutions like this one to refurbish a pretty cracked up dashboard. Going to give this a shot and hoping to have half as good results! This post is a few years old and I am not seeing the topic addressed with any better results more recently. Just reaching out to see if anyone out there has learned anything more, or if there are any more recent products I should be looking at/considering before I begin. Thanks in advance!

 

[mcarlo86]

Awesome post with impressive results! New to the forum here and looking for solutions like this one to refurbish a pretty cracked up dashboard. Going to give this a shot and hoping to have half as good results! This post is a few years old and I am not seeing the topic addressed with any better results more recently. Just reaching out to see if anyone out there has learned anything more, or if there are any more recent products I should be looking at/considering before I begin. Thanks in advance!

I just completed refurbishing our dash pad using this method recently. One thing to make sure you do is after shaving off the extra foam, make sure that the repaired cracks are depressed a little bit so that after you fill with plastic weld and sand down the plastic weld level with the rest of the dash pad, you don't end up completely sanding it off. That is the main tip that I think will help make the finish better. I didn't recess the foamed areas, so when I was finished, the repaired areas are just a bit higher than the rest of the dash.

 

[Camar068]

I just completed refurbishing our dash pad using this method recently. One thing to make sure you do is after shaving off the extra foam, make sure that the repaired cracks are depressed a little bit so that after you fill with plastic weld and sand down the plastic weld level with the rest of the dash pad, you don't end up completely sanding it off. That is the main tip that I think will help make the finish better. I didn't recess the foamed areas, so when I was finished, the repaired areas are just a bit higher than the rest of the dash.

totally agree

 

[Camar068]

Been working on the used dashpad I've been working on. Wasn't sure if I should start another dash repair thread or throw it into the one that's already started. Admins please advise.

Anyway, pic heavy. I started with loc-tite's version of great stuff. As a final coat I decided to go with Total Boats Flex Epoxy. Seems to work very well and has a consistency of molasses. I almost wish I didn't use the "great stuff" at all. You can see the sink on the drivers side. I'll fill that in as well. I plan to put something in where the speakers were and fill it in. The pain in the ass is the transition from drivers side to passenger side.

This stuff takes about 24 hours to dry, so if you use it, cover as much as you can so the project doesn't drag out longer than needed. The kit was ~$60 on amazon. I'm currently just below the top of the label....so I've got plenty still.

I did take some of it that drained/pooled onto the work bench and tested it. Pretty firm but still a little flexible. I put the heat gun to it and it softened up really well. I could fold the 3" diameter piece back on itself without cracking. After cooling off it was again more rigid.

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[HotRodPC]

Adding some additional posts to this thread for other ideas, methods and comparison.